o go go! On May 19th, at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational event in Seoul, Korea, we announced in front of a stadium of thousands that StarCraft II is under development, and revealed a first-ever look at the new real-time strategy title. The original StarCraft is known for its epic galactic battles between three distinct, formidable races - the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg - as well as its gripping single-player storyline told with the aid of Blizzard's signature cinematic sequences. StarCraft II follows in that tradition, as demonstrated at the Worldwide invitational with a live gameplay presentation and an exciting new cinematic teaser for the upcoming game.

We're eager to share the new face of StarCraft with you (it's now running in a custom 3D engine that includes realistic physics and allows for massive armies and massive units on-screen simultaneously). Check out the StarCraft II Official Website to view the gameplay trailer revealed at the Worldwide Invitational, the StarCraft II cinematic teaser, and much more!

he Insider recently sat down with the Blizzard cinematic team for a behind-the-scenes look at the StarCraft II cinematic teaser recently released at the Worldwide Invitational, as well as to discuss the challenges involved with continuing the single-player storyline from the original game�

One of the things that really made StarCraft stand out when it was first released was the epic scale of events unfolding over the course of the original game and the Brood War™ expansion, told in large part through the game's cut-scenes and beautifully crafted cinematics. Of all the possible scenarios for a cinematic teaser, why did you decide to focus on the genesis of a marine?

he BlizzCon 2007 gaming celebration is descending on the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on August 3-4, 2007. Attendees will meet the Blizzard development teams, participate in tournaments, panel discussions, and contests, and of course play, play, play. Here�s a list of the currently announced events you can expect to see at BlizzCon 2007:

Discussion panels with Blizzard developers

Artist and developer signings

Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents

World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournaments and demos

Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes

Commemorative merchandise and other products based on the Blizzard franchises

A silent auction

Live orchestral performances of music from Blizzard games

And more...

Tickets for the convention will soon be available at $100 USD per person. As the event draws closer, be sure to check back at the official BlizzCon website periodically for further details and announcements.

llidan the Betrayer awaits challengers in the unhallowed depths of The Black Temple - a 25-person raid dungeon for level-70 World of Warcraft heroes. With the release of the Black Temple Update, players will battle the nefarious Ethereum faction, invade the Arakkoa capital city of Sketis, quest for the Nether Drake flying mount, and much more. The most difficult task of them all, however, is the hunt for Illidan in his own dark citadel -- a quest to bring the reign of the evil overlord to an end.

The Black Temple was not always a bastion of evil. Once, it was a revered center of worship for the draenei. Prior to entering its bloodied halls, you may want to read the lore of The Black Temple and watch this trailer to learn more about the history of Illidan�s fortress -- and why freeing it from his evil taint is of paramount importance�

* Only previous and current World of Warcraft retail account holders are eligible

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ou've taken Azeroth by storm. Now a dark frontier awaits. Take on hundreds of new quests, acquire powerful new gear, and travel the shattered skies of Outland with your own flying mount! All of these experiences and more are yours to discover in the first expansion to World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade.

If you haven�t yet upgraded, you can enable your account to play the new content for 10 days FREE.

o commemorate the announcement of StarCraft II, we are proud to present the Tychus Findlay limited-edition statue. This collector�s item is a product of a collaboration between Blizzard and Sideshow Collectibles. You can now own a piece of StarCraft history with this highly detailed, 18-inch-tall statue of Terran Marine Tychus J. Findlay standing atop a freshly dispatched Hydralisk. Cast in high-quality polystone and hand painted with careful attention to detail, the power of the Terran Marine Corps stands triumphant in this beautiful museum-quality piece.

Check out the Tychus Findlay Limited-Edition Statue website for details on pricing, preordering, and availability.